Project information

Playing Field upgrade project

We would like to upgrade our playing fields at Jenny's Well, Paisley, Renfrewshire. There is enough ground to upgrading the existing two grass pitches into one full sized, Synthetic Turf Pitch and Natural Grass Pitch with ancilliary fencing and floodlighting.

The project could take between 3 months to a year to complete - when under construction.

Charity information: St Mirren Youth Football Club

Need

HUNDREDS of young footballers have been left kicking their heels after motorcycle-riding yobs left their pitches in ruins. Extensive damage has been caused to the Jenny’s Well Playing Fields in Paisley by thoughtless vandals who used the pitches as a race track. Now fed-up bosses at St Mirren Youth Football Club are furious with the culprits after revealing children are no longer able to play matches there.

Solution

If we can upgrade even by fencing off the playing field, we could keep it safe and maintain it to a high standard. our priority has to be remedial work for now, but we are serious in that we want to create a proper football playing field for the club, so that we can extend our community reach.

What success will look like

Impact

it will initially bring short term employment, during construction, encourge increased community interest, recruitment of volunteers, players and recreational participants, improve the local environment, encourage access to the local nature reserve, increase awareness of the local nature trails and the national cycle route. It could attract additional funding for on 'outdoor gym' for the local neighbourhood. We will demonstrate all of this on our website and by replacing interpretation boards.

Risk

We have investigated with the local planning authority - no planning required to upgrade playing field, only risk may be car parking and traffic access. We are talking to the landowner, the local community and the local council. We have surveyed locals by an online survey, we have plans to complete a feasibility study. We also have a great bunch of parents, from our 200 plus young members who are willing to do legal and other professional work.

Reporting

We will report to sponsors by monitoring activity, uptake and participation levels before and after construction.

Location

Jenny's Well Playing Field, Paisley, Renfrewshire - adjacent to an urban streetscene and a local nature reserve, nature trails and national cycle route

Beneficiaries

The local population live in the midst of an are of multiple levels of deprivation. The local community will benefit and the wider area will be able to enjoy a community use amenity which could attract additional facilities. The area has seen lots of change over the last sixty years - from a railway, to land-fill site and now public open greenspace - we want the local community to benefit from a regeneration of the playing fields.

Why Us?

We have used the facility for a dozen years, with care and responsibility. The playing field has to be used as such and we have the vision to upgrade it for the benefit of our 200 young footballers and perhaps more if we can centre our activities at a first class football academy style environment.